Mechanical musical instrument.



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. PATBNTED PEB. 4, 1908-.v J. MGTAMMANYNL E. A. FORD. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILI-12D MAR. 3, 1902. 4 SHEETS- SHEET 1.

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N0. 878,150. PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908. J. MGTAMMANY & E A; FORD. MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. .3f 1902.

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PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908. J. MCTAMMANY I E. A. FORD.

MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3. 1902.

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MATAMMANYAAR A. FORD.v MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3v, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHEBT 4.

INVENTIJFAS:

UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEIICE.

.IOIIN MC'IAMMANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, AND EUGENE A. FORD, OF UXBRIDGE,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS, BY MANY, OF NEW YORK, NA Y.

DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO F. A. )ICTAM- MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4f, 1908.

Application filed March S. 1902. Serial No. 96.382.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN McTAMinrNr, of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, and EUGENE A. FORD, or Uxbridge, in the county of VVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to mechanical musical instruments, and it has for its object the provision of an instrument with which may be employed a selector of indeterminate length, whereby musical compositions may be played upon the instrument without their being restricted to those of a given length or number of measures.

As heretofore constructed, those instruments which have met with any degree of success have been provided with either a pincylinder or else with a metallic selector or tune-sheet. A popular use of machines of the Iirst type, to wia-those employing a pin cylinder, has been precluded by the large cost entailed in the manufacture of such machines and in the provision of additional pin-cylinders. In machines of the second type, it has been proposed to provide a selector or tunesheet either in the shape of a disk with provisions by which it is rotated or. in the shape of an elongated sheet which may be wound upon rolls. rlhe tune-sheet in either case has been necessarily iormed ol' metal for the reason that it forms a. part of the action for the actuation ol the pickers, and where it consists of an elongated sheet or metallic strip, the noise, cost, and inconvenience occasioned by the use ol'the sheet, is so great that instruments employing it have never gone into practical use. In the instruments in which the rotary tune sheet is employed, the range of the instrument is limited to short compositions, and consequently much of the liner music, such as operas, masses, symphonies, overtures, and other classical music, has been practically barred. In the said second type olt instrument referred to, it has been impossible to construct the selector or tunesheet from material other than metal inasmuch as previously stated, it forms a part of the action and it etIects the mechanical operation of the pickers. Therefore the employment o'lt a paper selector in such musical instruments as employ mechanically actuated pickers has been precluded, owing to the inherent weakness, and its inability to operate the action, and to endure the strain and wear and tear incident to a practical instrument.

According to the present invention, we employ, in connection with the sounding devices, an action which is governed by an elongated non-metallic selector, but which is actuated independently or the selector, the parts being so combined that the selection of the sounding devices in predetermined order is governed by periorations in the selector without danger of the selector being worn away or injured from constant use, consequently, the invention may be employed in producing the most artistic musical compositions heretofore mentioned, such as operas, masses, overtures and all grades of classical music, regardless of their length, upon instruments employing musical tongues, strings, or other forms of tone-producing or sounding devices.

As will be subsequently explained in the following speci'lication, the pickers by which the sounding devices are caused to vibrate or produce tones, are held yieldingly in potential relation to a constantly moving actuator and against the selector until one of the perforations therein registers with a tooth or point on the picker, whereupon the picker moves into position whereby it may be directly engaged by said moving device and be caused thereby to engage and vibrate the sounding device. In this way the selector operates in the nature of an escapement and performs no other function in the actuation of the picker or the device by which the picker is actuated. Again, in order to erlect the sounding or actuation of a single tone producer, a predetermined number of times in rapid succession, to produce a tremolo, we provide a plurality of pickers having their teeth or operating portions arranged in the same plane, so as to engage the same sounding device. In this Way we obviate the necessity of providing the mechanical musical instrument with a series of sounding devices for producing the same tone, as has hitherto been essential. These. are the major features of the invention, but it will be understood from the following specication that there are a number of minor features which we regard as important and desirable, and which will be described in detail.

Referring to the accompanying drawings :k

Figure 1 represents in plan view a mechanical musical instrument embodying our invention. Fig. 2 represents an end elevation of the same with the front wall removed. Fig. 3 represents a side elevaton of the same. Fig. 4 represents a longitudinal section through the same. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 5 5 of Figure 3. Fig. 6 represents an enlarged. view of the action, and illustrates the engagement of the tooth of one of the pickers with a perforation in the selector. Fig. 7 represents a view of the same parts at the time when the actuator' is causing the engagement of the pickers with the tongue. Fig. 8 represents a similar view and shows the operation of the pickers in succession when there is an elongated perforation in the selector. Fig. 9 represents the grooved guide as moved to an inoperative position to permit the insertion or re-.

moval of'a selector'. Fig. 10 represents in section the guiding shaft, the collars which are keyed thereon, the set of pickers on each collar and thc spacers or separators between the pickers. lFig. 11 represents one of the pickers. Fig. 12 represents one of the collars. Fig. 13 represents one of the spacers or separators. Fig. 14 represents the winding roll and. the means for connecting said roll to its shaft.

On the drawingaal indicates the base of the instrument which is provided with the side walls or standards a in which are journaled the shafts b b/ for the winding and unwinding rolls c and c respectively. The shaft I) is adapted to have a slight longitudinal movement in either direction, and it projects beyond'the side walls or standards a so that it may be thrust manually in one direction or the other. The winding roll c is provided with a pin c2, which projects into a keyway b2 in the said shaft, and to cause the said cylinder to rotate with the said shaft. Located in a groove b3 in the other end of the shaft, there is a resilient clutch if* which is curved as shown and by means of which the said shaft l) may be positively connected to or disconnected from a gear-wheel h6 hereinafter described, according to whether the shaft b is at one or the other of its extremes of movement. The purpose of this construction is to disconnect the winding-roll from the gearing by means of which it is rotated when it isdesired to remove the selector frn the winding roll and re-wind it upon the ro c The selector is indicated at d, and it is preferably formed of paper or other flexible non-metallic material, which may be formed in any suitable length. 'The selector is adapted to be wound upon one roll and unwound from the other by the rotation of one or the other of the shafts. It passes over idlers or guide-rolls e e, as indicated in Fig. 4. For a purpose which we shall subsequently explain, this selector is caused to follow a tortuous, divergent, or zigzag path, there being located between the guide-rolls e e", the guide f the lower edge of which is provided with a plurality of grooves f, corresponding in number with the sounding devices. This guide is so depressed below the plane of the guide-rolls e e that when the selector is passed thereunder, as shown, a loop or bend is formed therein. The lower edge ofthe guide is rounded or curved transversely so as to form no sharp portions or edges to mar or mutilate the selector.

In order to assist in the easy insertion of the selector thereunder, the guide f is pivoted at its ends upon studs f2 nearits upper edge, so that it may be swung upwardly into the plane of the guide-rolls e e, as shown in Fig. 9. To hold it in operative position, however, it isformed with lugs f3 which are adapted to rest against stops formed by the shoulders f2@ on the side standards when the selector is traveling in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3. The movement of the tune-sheet or selector tends to swing the guide downwardly and in the direction of the movement of the said selector until the lugs f3 engage the shoulders fm, and the guide will then be held in operative position by the stress or tension of the selector.

The sounding device in the present embodiment of the invention consists of a musical comb g which is formed with a series of tongues g/. The said comb is secured to a support g2, extending from side to side of the instrument. To economize space, the comb is at an inclination to the vertical with its teeth or tongues projecting upwardly.

Directly under the guide f there is a driving shaft 7L which is journaled in the sides or standards a. This shaft may be rotated by a suitable motor, although a crank is shown for that purpose. On its end the shaft is provided with a gear h, intermeshing with and drivinga larger gear h2 on a shaft i, journaled below the shaft h. This shaft'i is provided with a smaller gear h3, which through intermeshing pinions 7b4 r" drives the gear h on the shaft b of the winding roll. The shaft h is rotated in the direction of the arro'w 2 in Fig. 3. Keyed on the said shaft are a series of collars y', each of which has a flange y, and on each collar, between its flange and the flange j of the next adjacent collar, there are placed three multiple-pointed pickers k 7c k2, separated by washers or separators 7a4, keyed on the said collar. The pickers are loosely mounted upon the collars, but unless retarded, are

caused to rotate by the friction of the collars and their flanges y, and also by the friction of the washers or separators 764. The pickers are shaped as shown in Fig. 11, that is to say, each is in the shape of a star-wheel having preferably five teeth or operative portions e w y z. Each tooth has a straight edge 4 and a beveled edge 5, the latter being the portion of the tooth which engages the tongue or sounding device. The three pickers on each collar are so formed that their teeth lie in the same plane, transverse to their axis of movement, and are all adapted to engage, successively, the same tongue in the comb. To accomplish this, the teeth of the pickers 7c 7c? are bent towards each other so as to lie in the plane of the teeth of the picker 7c. By virtue of this eonstuction, each picker is limited in movement by the teeth of the other two pickers. The guide f and the musical comb are so related to the pickers on the shaft 7i that the said pickers are adapted to be held against movement by the unperforated portion of the selector or to engage a tongue on the comb when permitted to rotate.

We have previously stated that the guide f is provided with notches f, and it will be seen from Fig. 4 that if the selector were not interposed between the pickers and the guide, they would be permitted to revolve freely by reason of said notches, the frictional engagement of said pickers with the collars and spacers or separators being suflicient to effect their rotation. hen, however, the selector intervenes between the pickers and the guide f, the pickers are held against rotation, except when a perforation in the selector registers with a tooth on the picker, whereupon, the picker immediately rotates with the shaft h and its collar, the two other pickers moving along with it until they are arrested by an unperforated portion of the sheet, as shown in Fig. 6; or, if two perforations follow the one referred to, or there is an elongated slot in the selector, two pickers will move forward with the first and be caused to actuate the tongue of the comb in rapid succession, as shown in Fig. 8.-

To effect va positive engagement of the pickers with the comb, we employ an actuator on the shaft fi, which, it will be remembered, is positively driven by the shaft 7L. This actuator may be formed in different ways, and it consists, essentially, of a fluted roll. In the present embodiment of the invention, this roll is formed of a plurality of disks t keyed upon the shaft fi. Said disks are arranged in pairs, there being one pair for each set of pickers, or for the three pickers on each collar. Each pair of disks is provided with teeth i2, which diverge at their ends as at i3, and as the disks are preferably made of spring metal, their teeth are adapted to yield in case the tooth of a picker comes between them. The space between the teeth of each pair of disks forms a notch or groove in which the teeth'or the pickers are normally adapted to enter. The disks all being keyed upon the shaft with their notches in alinement, they form, as it were, a yieldingly fluted roll or actuator supplemental to the selector for directly actuating thepickers after the latter have been released by the selector, for causing them to directly engage and vibrate the sounding devices. The fluted roll or actuator is normally rotated in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 3, so that as soon as a picker is released by the selector, it moves with the shaft 7L until one of its teeth is engaged by thev said roll and said picker is caused to actuate the sounding device, as shown in Fig. 7. It is apearent, of course, that the pickers are normally held out of engagement with, although in potential relation to, the fiuted roll or actuator by the selector.

The operation of the instrument is as follows Assuming that the selector, the shaft t, and the actuator or fluted roll are moving in the direction of the arrows l, 2, and 3, respectively, the pickers will be held against movement by the unperforated portion of the selector, which is passing under the guide f. As soon, however, as a perforation in the selector registers with the tooth i) of the picker k2, the said picker will be caused to advance, as shown in Fig. 6, by its frictional engagement with its collars and the washers or spacers thereon until its tooth enters in a groove in the grooved roll or actuator, as shown in Fig. 7, the corresponding tooth e of the picker 7c being in the meantime arrested from movement by the unperforated portion of the selector which immediately follows the perforation. The grooved roll engaging the tooth a; positively rotates the picker k2 until the tooth fz/ engages and releases the tongue g. of the comb g. The picker will continue to move thereafter until the tooth e abuts against the tooth@ on the picker k.

It will be understood that we do not limit ourselves to any particular details of construction as hereinbefore set forth, nor do we contemplate always employing the precise number of parts which we have illustrated, as it is within our invention to interpose secondary pickers between those illustrated and the musical comb or otherl series of sounding devices.

Having thus explained the nature of our invention, and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the modes of its use, we declare that what we claim is l. A musical instrument comprising a rotatable shaft, a picker mounted to rotate therewith, a flexible selector adapted to govern the movement of said picker, and means for rotating said picker independently of the rotation of said shaft.

2. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a rotatable shaft, a picker mounted to rotate therewith, a flexible selector', means whereby said selector follows a tortuous path, and means for rotating said picker independently of the rotation of said shaft.

3. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a rotatable shaft, a picker mounted to rotate therewith, said picker having fixed teeth movable in a constant path about a fixed axis, a selector adapted to govern the movement of said picker, and means for rotating said picker independently of the rotation of said shaft.

4. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a rotatable shaft, a picker mounted to rotate therewith, said picker havingxed teeth movable in a constant path about a fixed axis, a fiexible selector adapted to govern the movement of said picker, means whereby said selector follows a tortuous path to engage said picker, and means for rotating said picker independently of the rotation of said shaft.

5. A mechanical musical instrument com- 'prising a rotatable shaft, a picker mounted thereon and having fixed teeth movable in a constant path about a fixed axis, a sounding device, a selector, means whereby said shaft will cause a tooth of said picker to normally rest against said` selector without motion until a perforation in the selector registers therewith, and means for rotating said picker independently of the rotation of said shaft.

6. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a perforated selector, a rotatable.

tating picker having fixed teeth and held against rotation by said `selector, except when a tooth on said picker registers with a perforation in said selector, and means for positively engaging and rotating the picker one step when it is released by said selector.

S. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a yieldingly rotated picker, a selector having provisions for arresting and releasing said picker and independently supported means for positively actuating said picker when it is released by the selector.

9. A'mechanical musical instrument comprising a picker having fixed teeth, means for yieldingly rotating said picker, a selector having provisions for arresting and releasing said picker, and a continuosly moving device adapted to positively rotate said picker when it is released by said selector.

10. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a rotatable shaft, a picker mounted to rotate therewith, a perforated selector adapted to govern the movement of said picker, means wherebysaid shaft will hold said picker yieldingly against said selector, and means for rotating said picker independently of the rotation of said shaft.

11. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a yieldingly rotated picker, a selector normally arresting the rotation of said picker, and having perforations for releasing said picker, and means for positively rotating said picker when released.

12. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a sounding device, a picker rotatable on a fixed axis, alpositive actuator for the picker in potential relation thereto, a selector normally arresting the movement of the picker and having perforations which release the picker, and means for yieldingly holding the picker against the selector until released and then rotating it into operative relation with said actuator whereby it is caused to engage the sounding device.

13. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a sounding device, a multiplepointed picker rotatable on afixed axis, a positive actuator for said picker in potential relation thereto, means for yieldingly rotating said picker, a flexible selector having perforations, and provisions whereby said selector travels a tortuous path to arrest the rotation of said picker except when a perforation registers with one of the points thereof.

14. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a sounding device, a multiplepointed picker rotatable on a fixed axis, a positive actuator for said pickerA in potential relation thereto, means Afor yieldingly rotating said picker, a flexible selector having perforations, a notched guide, and guide-rolls, said selector passing over said rolls and under said guide to form a bend which arrests the rotation of said picker until a perforation registers with one of the points thereof.

15. A mechanical musical instrument having a series of multiple-pointed pickers with their points lying in the same plane transverse to their axes.

16. A mechanical musical instrument having a single sounding device, and a plurality of multiple pointed pickers having their points arranged to engage said sounding device.

17. A mechanical musical instrument Ahaving a toothed comb, and a series of sets of same plane to engage the said sounding de-- vice.

19. A mechanical musical instrument having a series of independently movable multiple-pointed pickers having their points lying in the same plane transverse to the axis thereof.

20. A mechanical musical instrument having a plurality of sounding devices, a plurality of pickers for each sounding device, and av perforated selector governing the action of said pickers.

2l. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a sounding device, a rotary shaft, a star wheel frictionally mounted thereon and having its teeth rotatable about a hxed axis, a perforated selector traveling in a path intersecting the path of movement of the outer ends of the teeth of said star wheel, and means for positively rotating said wheel independently of the rotation of said shaft.

22. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a sounding device, a selector guided in a path which has a loop or bend, and a star wheel rotatable about a fixed axis, the outer ends of its teeth moving in a fixed path which intersects the loop or bend of the selector.

23. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a sounding device, a perforated selector guided in a path which has a loop or bend, a star wheel rotatable about a fixed axis, the outer ends of its teeth moving in a fixed path which intersects the loop or bend of the selector', and independently supported means for actuating the star wheel when a perforation in. the selector registers with one of the teeth thereof.

24. A mechanical musical `instrument comprising a soundingl device, a plurality of rotary star wheels adapted to engage said sounding device in succession, and a selector having plurality of slots in the saine longitudinal line for controlling said star wheels.

25. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a sounding device, a plurality of star wheels adapted to engage said sounding d evice in succession and continuously except when obstructed, and a perforated selector, the unperforated portion of which obstructs or prevents the operation of said star wheels.

26. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a sounding device and a plurality of star wheels for engaging and vibrating said sounding device, each star wheel limiting the movement of the other of said star wheels.

27. f mechanical musical instrument comprising a plurality of sounding devices, a plurality of star wheels having fixed teeth rotatable in a constant path about a common fixed axis, a perforated selector, a guide having a groove for the passage of the teeth of each star wheel, said guide deecting said selector to cause it to intersect the normal path of the outer ends of said teeth, and means for causing said star wheels to rest against said deflected portion of said selector until a perforation registers with a tooth thereof, and then to rotate into operative relation to one of said sounding devices.

2S. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a plurality of sounding devices, a plurality of star wheels rotatable about a commen fixed axis, a perforated selector, a guide having a groove for the passage of the teeth of each star wheel, said guide deflecting said selector to cause it to intersect the path of the outer ends of the teeth of said star wheels, a continuously rotating shaft on which said star wheels are frictionally mounted, and an actuator adapted to rotate said star-wheels independently of the rotation of said shaft.

29. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a sounding device, a picker rotatable on a fixed axis, a selector governing the action of the picker, means for moving said picker independent of the movement of the selector for presenting the star-wheel in operative position with respect to said sounding device, and an actuator for causing said star-wheel to sound said device.

30. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a star-wheel provided with fixed teeth moving in a common path about a fixed axis, a perforated selector traveling in a path which approaches and then recedes from said star wheel, whereby the unperforated portion of said selector in the tortuous portion of said path intersects the path of movement of saidv teeth and offers an obstruct-ion to the rotation of said star wheel but permits the rotation thereof when a perforation registers with one of said teeth, and a sounding device which is caused to sound by said star wheel.

3l. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a star-wheel provided with fixed teeth moving in a common path about a fixed axis, a perforated selector traveling in a path which includes a loop extending towards the star wheel, whereby the unpervferated selector in the loop intersects the path of movement of said teeth and offers an obstruct-ion to the rotation of said star wheel, a sounding device, and means for causing said star-wheel to operate said sounding device when a perforation in the selector registers with a tooth of said star-wheel.

32. An automatic musical instrument, comprising a plurality of sounding devices, and a plurality of sets of pickers for said sounding devices, each set consisting of a series of star-wheels, and a common shaft on which said sets of pickers are mounted.

33. An automatic musical instrument, comprising a plurality of sounding devices, a shaft, and a set of pickers on said shaft for each of said sounding devices, the pickers of each set being movable relatively to each other.

automatic musical instrument comprising a plurality of sounding devices, a l said star-Wheels as they are selected by theV shaft, a set of pickers on said shaft for each of said sounding devices, the pickers of each set being movable relatively to each other, and a collar on said shaft for each set of pickers. n

35. An automatic musical instrument, comprising a plurality of sounding devices, a shaft, a set of star-Wheels for each of said devices, and a collar on said shaft for each set of said star-Wheels.

36. An automatic musical instrument, cormnisingl a plurality of soundmg devices, a continuously rotating shaft, a set of star- Wheels for each of said sounding devices, and a collar al'lixed to said shaft for each set of star-Wheels, and on which said set of star- Wheels is frictionally mounted.

37. An automatic musical instrument comprising a soun ding device, a rotary shaft, a set of star-wheels for successively engaging said sounding device, a collar iixed on said shaft and on Which said star-Wheels are frictionallyv mounted, and Washers or separators between said star-Wheels iixed to said collar.

38. A mechanical musical instrument connorising a single tongue or sounding device, a set of star-Wheels for engaging said single tongue or sounding device in succession, a selector governing the action of said star-Wheels, and an actuator for operating said star-Wheels in succession.

39. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a tongue or sounding device, a set of star-Wheels for engaging the same tongue or sounding device in succession, a selector governing the action of said star- Wheels, and a yielding actuator for operating selector.

40. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a sounding device, a star-Wheel for engaging said sounding device, a selector governing the action of said star-Wheel, and a yielding toothed device for operating said star-Wheel When it is selected by said selector.

4l. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a sounding device, a star-Wheel for engaging said sounding device, a selector governing the action of said star-Wheel, and a pair of yielding toothed Wheels operating said star-Wheel when it is selected by said selector.

4t2, A mechanical musical instrument comprising, a sounding device, a star-Wheel for engaging said sounding device, a selector governing the action of said star-Wheel, and a pair of toothed Wheels operating `said star- Wheel when it is selected by said selector.

43. A mechanical musical instrument comprising a plurality of star-Wheels, a shaft for rotating the star-Wheels, a selector to prevent such rotation except Where a perforation therein registers With a tooth on said wheel, means for bending the selector out of line to enable the star-Wheels to engage said selector, or to enter a perforation therein, and means for positively rotating said star Wheels When selected by said selector.

ln testimony whereof We have affixed our signatures, in presence of tivo Witnesses.

' JOHN MCTAMMANY.

EUGENE A. FGRD. lNitnesses S. l?. DURKER, WALTER I. BALLOU. 

